Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
A new video released Thursday shows Taylor Frankie Paul attacking her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in front of her daughter three years ago. Shortly after the video was published, a Disney spokesperson confirmed that the network had pulled Taylor’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which was set to premiere Sunday.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said. The video, published by TMZ, appears to be recorded by Mortensen and shows Paul pushing and kicking Mortensen as he repeatedly asks her to stop, saying, “let me go.” The recording, which does not capture what led up to the moment in which the video began, reportedly portrays an incident in which Paul was arrested in 2023, according to TMZ. On Thursday, Mortensen through his attorney filed for a protective order against Paul, but the filing was sent back because it was incomplete and an amended petition was requested, Salt Lake County District Court records show. Paul was charged with assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child for the 2023 incident. Court records indicate that Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to an aggravated assault charge in August 2025, and the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice. “I will have my truth,” Paul said in a phone interview with NBC News on Thursday, after the video was released. NBC News has not independently verified the TMZ video or viewed the original full video. Police bodycam video of Paul’s arrest in that case was played on the first episode of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” a Hulu reality series that follows a group of Utah-based Mormon moms who popularized the online subculture known as “MomTok.” There are no current public allegations against Mortensen. But a spokesperson for Paul said she's 'gaining strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.' 'There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives,' the spokesperson said. 'Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.' In the video of the incident, Paul is also seen throwing three barstools at Mortensen. Shortly after the stool is thrown, her daughter, who was nearby on the sofa during the fight, can be heard crying. “This is called physical abuse,” Mortensen said in the video. When Paul begins hurling the stools at Mortensen, he can be heard saying, “Your daughter is right here.” The video is mentioned in the 2023 indictment against Paul, which notes that Mortensen had “redness and swelling around his eyes, swelling on his elbow, scratches on his fingers, and a laceration on his neck” from the incident. The indictment also notes that in the video, Paul’s daughter is struck in the head while she was lying on the couch. A spokesperson for Paul told NBC News on Thursday, after TMZ released the video, that the recording is the “latest installment of never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.” “Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior,” the spokesperson added. “Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.” Mortensen did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment about the video. ABC and Hulu also did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the video. In a March 2023 mental health assessment filed in Paul’s case, she explained that the altercation occurred after a girls’ night she had at a friend’s house, where she “drank from vodka, however, she does not recall exactly how much.” She explained that she asked Mortensen to pick her up after she started thinking about how she “ruined” her family after her divorce. The assessment says Paul said her feelings only got worse in the case when she reflected “on a recent ectopic pregnancy . In the assessment, Paul said she did not recall much after the pair arrived home, but she did read the incident report that informed her that she “grabbed three bar stools and threw them in her boyfriend’s direction.” “Both of the children were sleeping, her son was upstairs in his room, and her daughter was asleep on the couch downstairs ,” the mental health assessment says. “Ms. Paul reported that her daughter woke up after or during the altercation ” The assessment added that Paul said she found no signs that her daughter had been struck with anything. The criminal indictment, however, says that Paul’s daughter was struck in the head with a metal chair and was “heard crying after being hit with the stool” in a video of the incident. During a follow-up video, the indictment says, an officer was informed that Paul’s daughter had a “goose egg on her head, which was painful.” An affidavit of probable cause in the case notes that when officers arrived at the house, one officer saw Paul “lunge” at Mortensen and push and hit him. The mental health assessment recommended that Paul attend a parenting class to “learn to manage stress and anxiety around her children” and that she would benefit from a “Prime for Life Class to get some information/education about alcohol and its side effects and consequences.” The assessment also notes that at the time, Paul saw a therapist regularly and that the counselor stated that she is “an intermediate problem drinker.” It also notes that Paul has “borderline anxiety” and a “mild level of depression.” The case docket shows that Paul completed the two recommended courses. “This is one of many videos that we have seen that led us to choose to pause filming,” a “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” cast member told NBC News by phone Thursday. The video comes just days after reports of a separate domestic violence incident involving both Paul and Mortensen. Three sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, told NBC News there is an “ongoing investigation” involving the on-again, off-again couple. The sources declined to provide further details about the investigation on the record. The West Jordan Police Department in Utah confirmed to NBC News on Wednesday that the department received a domestic violence allegation via phone call involving Paul, but declined to give details about the allegation or any potential charges. It also did not know the exact date or time of the reported incident. A police department spokesperson said detectives are working on establishing the facts of the case. The Draper Police Department in Utah told People magazine earlier this week that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding Paul and Mortensen and that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The police spokesperson said that “contact was made with involved parties on 24th and 25th.” Reached by NBC News on Monday, the police department declined to confirm the reports of a domestic dispute, saying its practice is “not to release details related to active investigations.” The sources who spoke to NBC News also confirmed reports that “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the Hulu reality show that thrust both Paul and Mortensen into the spotlight, had paused filming amid the allegations. One source told NBC News that the cast of “Mormon Wives” unanimously decided to take a break from filming for now. A source close to Paul, who spoke to NBC News on Tuesday, said that the founder of “MomTok” had been trying to handle the investigation privately because of the effect it would have on her kids, her family and her future. Instead, the source said, Paul was trying to focus all of her attention on “The Bachelorette.” Paul “needs help,” the source said, adding that the cast is hopeful production can pause long enough so she can get the care she needs. That is where production stands, the source said. It is not clear when filming will resume. If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence hotline for help at 799-SAFE , or go to www.thehotline.org for more. States often have domestic violence hotlines as well.
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